Fire-escape.



' W. LIESS DEGD.

1.. LEASE, mmmsnunxx.

FIRE ESCAPE. v urmcum'n FILED AUG.'22, 1911. I 7 1,0 ,329 Pa tented Feb. 3, 1914.

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Wiiirney,

w. LIESS, DEGD. L. LEASE, ADMINISTBATRIX.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1911.

Patgnted Feb. 3, 1914.

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TcaZZ whomit may concern:

/ UNITED sT TEs WILLIAM Lines, on BUFFALO, NEW YoaK, Assreuon or ONE ALF To FRANK BOSZ, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK; LOUISA LEASE Anmms'ra 'rmx or SAID WILLIAM LEASE (OB LIESS), DECEASED.

Lmss, a States, residing at f Be it known that I, WILLIAM citizen of the United Bufi'alo, in the. county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire escapes and moreparticularly .to that type which is movable horizontally along the building.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a fire-escape which can be positively escape having both a ladder and an ele controlled so as to ring the same in line with any--'of the windows or exits of a building. Another object'is the provision of a fire- QvatQr cage moving vertically independently .of theladder and horizontally therewith. A further object is the provision of means der and its adjuncts to be elevated so that it permittin the lower end portion of the ladcannot be reached from the ground, except I bym'eans of another ladder placed against; the building and to so construct said lower toa building. 4

end portion and hold the same elevated that descend the ladder theymayieasily scendto the ground. 7 A still further ob ect to my invention is the provision of means at the lower'end portion of the ladder for operating the ladder and causing it to move horizontally, also for operating the elevator cage and causing it to movevertically. a

With these and other objectsin view, the

- invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more full described and particularly pointed out e appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved fireescape applied 2 is a vertical section taken on line 21-41 ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of-a portion of a buildmg equipped with my improved fire-escape. Fig. 4- is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 'w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line M, Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Eateht. Application filed August 22,1911.-

persons escaping from a burning.

. FIRE-ESCAPE.

Patented Feb'. 3, 1914. Serial No. 645,443.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on .line g y, Fig. 1.' Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line 9-2, Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The reference numeral 8- designates a building having windows or other exits 9, by means of which the occupants of the building may have access to the fire-escape.

The fire-escape comprises a-l'adderIO and an elevator cage 11 movable horizontally. Suitable mechanism supporting and operating the ladder and elevator cage are pro vided and will now be described.

At a suitable point or pointsjin the height of the buildi'ng, a track or tracks 12 are provided and also a somewhat similar track 7' at the top of the building. The track 1. is secured totbrackets 1%; extending from the face of the building, while the track 13 is secured to a metallic plate 15 bolted or otherwise fastenedgto the cornice portion -of the building,

as. best shown in Fig. 2. Saidtracks-are substantially of I-formation in cross section so that they have oppositely disposed outstanding flanges at their upper' and lower edges, of its flanges'at its upper edge, preferably the outwardl extending one, provided with teeth which orm. a gear rack, as at 16.

The ladder 10 has the usual stiles or side- 'bars 17 and rounds 18 andat its upper end it is re-curved, as at 19, with the ends of its terminating at a pomt slightly above the track 13; said ends being connected with the'straight portions of the stiles by stiffen- 111g bars 20. Secured to the upger ends of the track 13 having one the stiles is a carriage 21 comprising a crossbar 22 having secured thereto a plurality of saddles 23 in which are rotatably held, bearing wheels 24 that ride on the upper surface of'the track 13. Each saddle comprises between them the rollers24, one of which members is bent atright angles at its lower two members 25, 26 spaced apart to receive Extending inwardly from the ladder at one or more points in the length thereof, depending of course on the height of the building to which it is applied, is a frame 32 having a cross-bar 33 at its rear end to which are secured a plurality of saddles 3d difiering in construction from the saddles 23' only in that both members thereof have their lower ends bent at right angles to extend underneath both flanges of the track 12, each saddle having a bearing roller 35 adapted to travel on said track. The lower. end portion of said ladder is arranged to be elevated so that .it will be out of reach from the ground except when using a ladder, thus guarding against surreptitious entrance to the building by means of the fireescape. For this purpose the lower end portion is pivotally connected to the main portion, as at 36, and can be swung upwardly into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, when the fire-escape is not in use. in order to retain the pivoted section in elevated position, gravity dogs 87 are provided which have rounded noses 38 and are held in substantially horizontal position by means of stops 39 extending inwardly from the stiles to which the dogs are pivotally secured, as best shown in Fig. 2. When swinging the lower pivoted section inwardly, the lower round thereof comes in contact with the rounded noses of the dogs and slightly moves them so that the round can pass behind the abrupt faces 40 of said dogs.

Secured to the stile of the ladder to which the bracket 29 is fastened, is a bracket 41 in which is journaled a vertical shaft 42 having secured to its upper end a bevel gear 43, and to its lower end a bevel gear 44-; said bevel gear 43 being in mesh with a bevel gear 45 secured to shaft 28. The shaft l2 extends to a point beneath the pivotal point of the pivoted section ofthe ladder and in order to permit said section to be elevated, it is also necessary to construct shaft 452 of sections. For this purpose the lower portion of the shaft is flattened at its upper end, as at 4:5, and the lower end: of the upper section is forked, as ateifi, to receive the flattened portion of the lower section, a pivot pin 47 passing through the sections at this point in line with the pivots of the ladder or substantially so.

Extending laterally from the ladder at its upper end is a braced frame 48 having I a rope sheave 4.9 on a' horizontal pivot and a second ro e sheave 50 on a vertical pivot and secure to the ladder adjacent said frame is a third rope sheave 51 on a horizontal ivot. Over these sheaves passes a supporting and elevating cable 52'having secured to one of its ends the elevator cage 11 and having its other end wound around a cable'drum 53'; said drum having prefernoeaaae ably an axial sleeve 54 and being rotatable on a shaft 55 journaled in the stiles of the lower pivoted portion of the ladder. Secured to one end of the sleeve 54 is an operating crank 56 by means of which the drum is rotated and secured to or formed on said drum is a ratchet wheel 57 which is engaged by a dog 58 pivotally secured to the acentstile of the ladder; said dog and ratchet serving to prevent retrograde movement of the drum and consequently holding the ele Will vator cage at any desired position. The a drum has a brake surface 59 against which acts a brake lever 60, to which pressure is applied so that the unwinding of the cable from the drum is retarded and consequently the elevator cage governed in its descent. Secured to the opposite end of shaft 55 is a bevel gear 61 which is in mesh with the bevel gear 44 on the vertical shaft 42 and fastened to said gear is an operating crank 62 whereby said bevel gears and shafts may be rotated. The cable 52 passes through guide eyes 63 secured to the ladder so that it will always be retained parallel with the ladder, or approximately so. A. guide cable 64: is provided, having its upper end secured to a bracket 65 extending from the upper or main portion of the ladder and its lower end secured to a screw.66 passing through a bracket 67' secured to the lower end of the pivoted portion of the ladder, a suitable nut 68 being threaded onto said screw and impinging against the under face of bracket 67 to hold the guide cable taut. Extending from the elevator cage are arms 69 through which the guide cable 64 is passed and as said guide cable is held taut, the elevator cage is compelled to travel in a vertical plane with little or no swinging movement. When swinging the lower section of the ladder on the upper or main section, the shaft 42 doubles upon itself as does the elevating cable 52 and guide cable hilt 64 and as two guide eyes are arranged on opposite sides of the pivotal point of the ladder sectionsv and comparatively close thereto, there will only be a slight downward movement of the elevator cage by reason of slackness in the elevating cable ing a lower end portion capable of bein swung upwardly, a vertically-disposed sha journaled to one side of said ladder and having a lower end portion adapted tobe swung upwardly with the lower end portion of said ladder, means for rotating said shaft, a gear.

wheel in mesh with said rack, and means for rotating said gear wheel from said shaft to cause the latter to be moved horizontally.

2. The combination of a plurality of tracks arranged at diiferent points in the height of a building, a carriage for each track, a ladder secured to said carriages and having a lower section capable of swingmg movement, brackets extending laterally from said ladder, one of said brackets extending laterally from said lower section, a guide cable held taut to said bracket-s, an elevator cage guided for movement by said guide cable, an elevating cable secured to said elevator cage, and means for winding upor paying out said elevating cable.

3. The combination of a ladder cmpris ing an upper or main portion and a lower portion pivot-ally secured tothe lower end of said. upper or main portion, said ladder having a pair of brackets, one of said brackets extending from said upper or main portion and the other from said lower portion, a guide cable having one end secured to one of said brackets, an adjusting screw passed through the other bracket and hav-- ing the other end of said guide'cable secured-thereto, an adjusting nut threaded on to said screw and impinging against said last-mentioned bracket, a frame extending laterally from said ladder, guide sheaves secured to said frame, an elevatin cable passing around said sheaves, an e evator cage secured to one end of said elevating cable and havin guide arms cooperating with said guide cablla'andmeans for winding up or paying out said elevating cable.

' 4. The combination of a lurality of horizontally-disposed tracks 0% substantially I- formation in cross section, said tra'cks being arranged in different planes in the height of a building, the uppermost track having a gear rack thereon, a carriage'for said uppermost track having a plurality of saddles comprising two spaced members, one a member of each saddle bent inward;

underneath theadjacent flange of the track, a roller in each saddle adapted to travel on the track,-acarriage on the other track or tracks,'a ladder secured to'said carriages and comprising an upper portion and a lower portion hinged to said upper portion; a gear wheel in mesh with said gear rack, and foldable mechanism extending from said gear wheel to the lower end of said ladder to cause rotation of said gear wheel and consequent horizontal movement of said ladder.

5. The combination of a plurality of horizontally-disposed tracks, one of said tracks havingia gear rack thereon, a ladder supported by said tracks and comprising an upper and lower section pivotallv connected, a vertically-disposed shaft at one side of said ladder having bevel gears at opposite ends, said shaft comprising two sections pivotally connected with its pivotal point coincident with the pivots of said ladder sections, a horizontally-disposed shaft having a gear wheel in mesh with said gear rack and a bevel gear in mesh withone of the bevel gears of said verticallydisposed shaft, a horizontally-disposed shaft journaled in the stiles of said ladder at their lower ends, a bevel gear on said shaft in mesh with the other bevel gear of said vertically-disposed shaft, means for rotating the bevel gear on said last mentioned horizontally disposed shaft, a cable drum rotatable on said lastmentioned shaft-at the opposite side of the ladder, a frame extending laterally from said ladder at its upper end and having cable sheaves thereon, an elevating cable passed around said cable-sheaves and having one end wound upon said cable drum, an elevator cage secured to the other end of said elevating cable, and means for rotating said cable drum. Intestimony'whereof I have set my hands irr'tlie presence of .two subscribing witnesses.

, ILLIAM LIESS. 1 ";f Witnesses: EMIL NEUHART,

JACOB OnERs'r, Jr. 

